


batter's box

by esmeanne



Category: Twilight Series - All Media Types
Genre: Baseball, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-16
Updated: 2019-05-16
Packaged: 2020-03-06 04:07:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,649
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18843310
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/esmeanne/pseuds/esmeanne
Summary: "the two boxes on either side of home plate"





	batter's box

She was waiting outside of his office. He could smell her, could hear her pacing. She must have forgotten about their heightened senses again; that or she was just too nervous to care. He didn't like the idea of Esme being too nervous to speak to him but he'd be lying if he said that it wasn't just a bit comforting- that he was not alone in his apprehension. He'd spent almost three hundred years waiting to meet someone like her, someone that he wanted to spend his eternity with. He never thought it would happen for him. He'd resigned himself to a life of romantic solitude until she'd woken up and stolen his still heart.

Esme wasn't ready for anything more than friendship at the moment. Of that, he was sure. She'd confided in him a number of times since waking only four months ago- she told him of how her husband had been a violent man, how she ran to save her baby. She described her dead son in vivid detail, her eyes alight with both love and despair as she told the story of his tragically short life.

She was healing. She was growing more confident every day. Her smiles were becoming brighter and her spirit freer with every passing day. Carlisle was happy to run alongside her through the forest; he was more than willing to be her shoulder to not cry on when the memories became too much during a long, sleepless night.

Esme had become his solace as well. He wasn't quite sure how she did it, how she managed to pull thoughts and feelings from him that he had buried deep down so long ago. All it took was a gentle touch to his arm or a glance at the understanding shining in her eyes and he was spilling his secrets, telling her of his fears and his faith. He showed her parts of himself he'd never even thought about in Edward's presence because he'd thought them so private.

Esme had cried tearless cries for him when he told her of how long he'd been alone. She growled under her breath, vampiric senses that she hadn't even known she'd had, flaring up in her when she heard his tales of how Aro had taunted and teased him during his time in Volterra.

She'd thanked him for saving her, admitting that now she understood that she'd never truly wanted to die. She wanted the pain to stop, she wanted to be happy and free. He told her that he hoped more than anything that she was.

"Carlisle?" Came Esme's soft voice from the hallway. "Can I come in?"

"Of course." He answered, setting his writing utensil aside and watching as the door slowly opened.

Esme stepped inside and smiled at him. Carlisle felt butterflies in his stomach as he watched her, her curls slightly messy and the dress torn along the hem of her skirt. There were grass stains on the fabric from the gardening she'd been doing earlier.

"I finished my book." Esme said, lifting the thick novel and wiggling it just slightly. "Can I borrow another?"

"Of course. I meant it when I said that they're your books too."

Esme nodded at that and then moved across the room to stand before the tall shelves. She traced her fingers along the spines before replacing the book she'd finished reading.

"Looking for anything specific?" Carlisle asked her, watching her from where he was sitting at his desk.

Esme looked back at him over her shoulder. "Not really. I would welcome suggestions, though."

Carlisle suggested looking through a few different shelves containing his favorite fiction novels. He pretended to continue working on the medical files spread out in front of him as she perused but he found it difficult to tear his eyes away from her. She had been utterly captivating to him since the moment she woke up. Enchanting him with every graceful movement.

"You have a lot books about baseball." Esme commented, pulling a book full of different players' stats from the shelf and carefully opening it.

"I do. Baseball is one of my very favorite hobbies."

"Really?" She asked, looking back at him and wrinkling her nose just slightly.

Carlisle chuckled softly as he stood and made his way over to her. "It's quite fun to both watch and play. Have you ever been to a game?"

Esme shook her head.

"Have you ever played?"

Esme shook her head again, smiling slightly at the look of surprise on his face.

"You didn't play when you were young?"

"The boys in town liked to play but they would not allow the girls to join them. And even if they had, my mother never would have permitted it."

"The next time the weather is agreeable, we'll have to go out and play." Carlisle said. "Edward and I can teach you."

"I'd like that."

The two fell quiet as she flipped through the book of statistics in her hands, not understanding much but finding it interesting nonetheless.

"I never would have thought you were fond of sports." Esme told him after a moment, lifting her eyes from the pages to grin at him.

Carlisle huffed softly. "It's baseball, Esme. The American pastime."

"Aren't you British?" She teased.

Not even a week later, the three of them found themselves standing in an open clearing while thunder rumbled overhead. Raindrops had yet to fall but the wind blew rather wildly causing Esme's skirt to billow around her legs as her boys tried to teach her about their favorite sport.

"You hold the bat like this, Esme." Edward instructed with the wooden bat in his hands.

Esme tucked the strands of hair that had fallen from her ponytail back behind her ear and then tried to mimic him. "Like this?"

Edward laughed a little at her form, sharing a look with Carlisle who was standing at Esme's side.

"Let me show you." Carlisle said softly, stepping up beside her. He reached out to touch her but stopped, lifting his eyes to hers. "May I?"

Esme nodded and watched him as he carefully adjusted her arms, moving them until they were positioned just right.

"There you go." He murmured, stepping back. "Edward's going to pitch a ball to you. Swing whenever it feels right."

Esme held the position and turned her head to look at Edward. The boy was smiling at her as he tossed the baseball up and down in the air- he probably heard her thoughts when Carlisle touched her arms, would surely tease her about them the next time Carlisle left for the hospital.

Edward nodded to let her know that she was, indeed, correct about the teasing she'd receive. "Ready?" He asked.

Esme nodded and swung her bat when Edward pitched the ball to her. Despite her vampire reflexes, she missed the ball. Carlisle moved behind her to catch it and then tossed it back to Edward.

"Why don't you help her?" Edward suggested with a grin.

Carlisle softly asked for permission again which she happily gave as he stepped into the batter's box that they'd made with some old paint. His arms wrapped around her from behind, his hands on her forearm as he helped her lift the bat into the correct position.

She leaned back into his chest as he pressed closer, trying to ignore the sturdy feel of him behind her. She tried not to revel in the warmth his arms wrapped her up in, how safe she felt.

Carlisle tried not to notice the sweet scent of her curls or how perfectly she fit in his arms.

"Like this?" She asked, her voice soft as she tilted her head back to look at him.

Carlisle nodded slightly. "Perfect." He murmured against her hair.

Edward threw another pitch and together, Carlisle and Esme hit the ball so hard that it flew back through the trees. The ball zoomed through branches, knocking leaves and twigs to the forest floor.

"I've got it!" The teenaged vampire said before taking off in the direction the ball disappeared in.

Carlisle watched him go, not bothering to move his arms from around her. When he heard her laugh excitedly and wiggle around in his embrace to face him, he couldn't help but beam at her. "You're a natural!"

"Oh my gosh!" Esme exclaimed, dropping the bat to the ground and lifting her hands to rest against his shoulders. "Carlisle, that was incredible!"

His hands slid down to rest on her waist, watching her with adoration shining in his eyes. She really was incredible; her gentle sincerity, the way in which she loved- it had changed him for the better.

Her eyes flicked down to his lips and then back up to his eyes, something he couldn't quite place written on her face. As she leaned in closer, he could have sworn he felt his still heart beat again.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the baseball Edward had retrieved flying toward them. He fought back a sigh of disappointment as he lifted his hand to catch it before it could crash into them.

Esme turned her head, smiling when Edward approached. "How far did it go?" She asked him excitedly, stepping out of Carlisle's arms to pick the bat up from the grass.

"At least a few miles." Edward told her.

She spun around to look at Carlisle, her eyes wide. "Did you hear that?!"

Carlisle shook off his disappointment to smile proudly. "I told you- you're a natural."

Esme looked between them. "Can I try again?"

When Edward nodded and returned to their makeshift pitcher's mound, Esme lifted the bat again. She looked back at the doctor before the ball could be thrown.

"Would you mind helping me again?"

"Not at all." He told her, wrapping his arms around her again.


End file.
